Dish package and carton therefor



June 25,1957 K. T. BUTTERY DISH PACKAGE AND CARTON THEREFOR Filed Sept. 52, 1955 2 She'etS-Sheet 1 2 .5 K. T. Bu'ETERY I 2,796,979

DISH PACKAGE AND CARTON THERE FOR Filed Sept. 22, 1955. v -2 Sheets- Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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DISH PACKAGE CARTON THEREFOR Kenneth T. Buttery, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignor to Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo, Mich.

This invention relates to 'a dish package and carton therefor permitting the stacking of one package upon another.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a package including a plurality of stacked dishes which permits the stacking of a plurality of packages.

Second, to provide a dish package having these advantages which is attractive in appearance and discloses portions of the interior of the top dish of a package and at the same time efiectively protecting the interiors of the stacked dishes.

Third, to provide a carton for stacked dishes which may be quickly and easily applied to a stack of dishes and at the same time may be economically produced.

Fourth, to provide a carton having a top opening provided with a flexible closure which is so secured to the inner side of the carton that it is taut when the carton is in the flat but is slack when the carton is erected and may be depressed within a packaged dish or the like.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a package embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in vertical section on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 2 of two packagesembodying my invention in stacked relation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary inverted perspective view illustrating steps in the forming of the package.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view further illustrating structural details.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the inverted carton in the flat or collapsed with the closure member partially raised to show its relation to other parts of the carton.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated is especially designed for packaging stacks of paper dishes and the like, the stack of paper dishes being indicated by the numeral 1. It will be understood that my invention is adaptable to various kinds of dishes and even to other products.

The package, as such, comprises the stack of dishes 1 and the carton designated generally by the numeral 2. The carton comprises a rectangular top 3, side walls 4 hingedly secured to the edges of the top at 5 and bottom members 6 hingedly secured to the lower edges of the side walls at 7.

One opposed pair of bottom members are provided with tongues 8 on their end edges, the other with slits 9 adjacent their end edges adapted to receive the tongues, the tongues and slits being interlockingly engaged when the carton is erected as is shown in Fig. 2.

The top is provided with a central opening 10 of such diameter as to receive the bottom portion of a stack of .stack of dishes.

2,796,979 Patented June 25, l957 ice dishes as is illustrated in Fig. '3. Otherwise stated the diameter of the openingv 10 exceeds the diameter of the bottoms of the dishes.

The bottom members '6 have segmental recesses 11 in their edges, and coactto define an opening through which the bottoms of the dishes may project as is shown in Fig. 3. Desirablythe bottom opening defined by the bottom members is approximately that of the top opening 10.

The top closure 12 is flexible and preferably transparent as is indicated in-the drawings and is of such dimensions that it may be superimposed on the under sides of the carton blank as shown when the blank is in the flat or extended position, as shown in Fig. 6 with the edges of the closure lapping upon the inner sides of the side walls and adhesively secured thereto, adhesive being indicated at 13. The corners of the top members are notched or cut away at 14 so that in the flat the closure member extends over the :top and side walls as is clearly shown in Fig. 6 but does 'not'interfere with the erecting of the carton.

When the side walls are swung to erected position the top closure member becomes slack as is indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 and sags or may be depressed into the This permits the packages being stacked one upon another without rupturing the closures and'at the same time the interiors of the dishes are effectively protected from dust and inhandling the packages. When the closure is transparent, as is-the most common commercial practice, the interiors ofthe dishes may be in- .spected so that the customer'may observe the finish and color or ornamentation.

ln packaging, the stack of dishes is superimposed on an inverted collapsed carton as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the side walls and bottom members erected and the bot- .tom members interlocked which completesthe package.

in a highly practical commercial embodiment thereof. I

have not attempted to illustrate various other adaptations as it is believed that the disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A package adapted to be stacked with similar packages, the package comprising a plurality of stacked paper dishes and a carton thereforcomprising a rectangular top having a central opening'therein of a diameter exceedin the diameter of the bottom of the dishes, side walls hingedly secured to the edges of the top to be folded downwardly and of a width corresponding approximately to the thickness of the stack of dishes at the edge thereof, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges of the side walls and having interlocked tongues and slots, the bottom members having segmentally curved inner edges supportingly engaging the'side walls of the stack with the bottom portion of the stack projecting below the bottom members, and a top closure .of .flexible trans parent material lapped upon and adhesively secured to the inner sides of the side walls and collapsible within the top of the stack permitting superimposing of a similar package with the bottom thereof extending into the top opening.

2. A package adapted to be stacked with similar packages, the package comprising a plurality of stacked paper dishes and a carton therefor comprising a top having an opening therein of a diameter exceeding the diameter of the bottom of the dishes, side walls hingedly secured to the edges of the top to be folded downwardly and of a 'width Corresponding approximately to the thickness of the stack of dishes at the'edge thereof, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges ofthe' side walls, the bottom members having segmental'ly curved inner edges supportingly engaging the side walls of the stack With the bottom portion of the stack projecting below the bottom members, and a top closure of flexible transparent material lapped upon and adhesively secured to the inner sides of the side walls and collapsible within the top of the stack permitting superimposing of a similar package with the bottom thereof extending into the top "opening. i

3. A package adapted to be stacked with similar packages, the packages comprising a plurality of stacked dishes and a carton therefor comprising a top having an opening therein of a diameter exceeding the diameter of the bottom of the dishes, side walls of a width corresponding approximately to the thickness of the stack of dishes at the edge thereof, bottom members defining an opening through which the bottom portion of the stack projects, and a top closure of flexible material disposed within and secured at its edges to the inner sides of the side walls and collapsible within the top of the stack thereby permitting superimposing of a similar package with the bottom thereof extending into the top opening.

4. A package adapted to be stacked with similar packages, the packages comprising a plurality of stacked dishes and a carton therefor comprising a top having an opening therein of a diameter exceeding the diameter of the bottom of the dishes, side walls of a width corresponding approximately to the thickness of the stack of dishes at the edge thereof, bottom members defining an opening through which the bottom portion of the stack projects, and a top closure'of flexible material disposed Within and secured at its edges within the carton with slack permitting the collapsing thereof within the top of the stack thereby permitting superimposi of a similar package with the bottom thereof extending into the top opening.

5. A carton for packaging a stack of dishes comprising a rectangular top having a central opening therein of a diameter of the bottoms of the dishes, sidewalls hingedly secured to the top to be folded downwardly and of a width corresponding approximately to the thickness of the stack of dishes at the periphery thereof, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges of the sidewalls and having interengageable tongues and slots at their adjacent ends, the inner edges of the bottom members being segmentally curved and coacting to provide aniopen bottom through which the stack of {dishes may project, and a closure of flexible transparent material for said top opening lapped upon and adhesively secured to the inner sides of the side walls in substantially spaced re lation to their hinge connection to the top when the side walls are positioned in the plane of the top so that when the walls are erected the closure is slackly supported at the inner side of and independently of the top and may be depressed within a stack of dishes in: the carton.

6. A carton for packaging a stack of dishes comprising a top having a central opening therein of a diameter exceeding that of the bottoms of the dishes, side walls hingedly secured to the top to be folded downwardly and of a width corresponding approximately to the thickness of the stack of dishes at the periphery thereof, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges of the side walls and defining an opening through which the stack of dishes may project, and a closure of flexible material for said top opening secured to the inner sides of the side walls in substantially spaced relation to their hinge connection to the top when the side walls are positioned in the plane of the top so that when the walls are erected the closure is slackly supported at the inner side of and independently of the top and may be depressed within a stack of dishes in the carton.

7. A dish packaging carton comprising a rectangular top having a central opening therein of a diameter exceeding the diameter of the bottom of the dish to be packaged, side walls hingedly secured to the edges of the top to be folded downwardly, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges of the side walls and having coacting tongues and slots, the bottom members having segmentally curved inner edges defining a dish receiving opening, and a top closure of flexible transparent material lapped upon and adhesively secured to the inner sides of the side walls in substantially spaced relation to their hinge connection to the top when the sidewalls are positioned in the plane of the top so that when the carton is erected the top closure is slackly supported at the inner side of and independently of the top permitting collapsing thereof within the packaged dish.

8. A dish packaging carton comprising a top having an opening therein of a diameter exceeding the diameter of the bottom of the dish to be packaged, side walls hingedly secured to theedges of the top to be folded downwardly, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges of the side walls and defining a dish receiving opening, and a top closure of flexible material secured to the inner sides of the side walls in substantially spaced relation to their hinge connection to the top when the side walls are positioned in the plane of the top so that when the carton is erected the top closure is slackly supported at the inner side of and independently of the top permitting collapsing thereof within the packaged dish. V

9. A carton comprising a rectangular top having an opening therein, side walls hingedly secured to the edges of the top to be folded downwardly, bottom members hingedly secured to the lower edges of the sidewalls, and a top closure of flexible material lapped upon and adhesively secured to the inner sides of the side walls in substantially spaced relation to their hinge connection to the top when the side walls are positioned in the plane of the top so that when the carton is erected the top closure is slackly supported at the inner side of and independently of the top permitting collapsing thereof within the carton.

10. A carton comprising a top having an opening therein, side walls hingedly secured to the edges of the top to be folded downwardly, bottom members hingedly secu-red to the lower edges of the sidewalls, and a top closure of flexible material secured to the inner sides of the side walls in substantially spaced relation to their hinge connection to the top when the side walls are posi: tioned in the plane of the top so that when the carton is erected the top closure is slackly supported at the inner side of and independently of the top permitting collapsing thereof within the carton.

i I References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

